Clutch.



No. 682,!28. Patented Sept, |90l.

u J. CARHUTHERS E. J. FITHIAN.

CLUTCH.

UNTTED f STATES Enron.

PATENT JOHN CARRUTHERS AND EDWIN J. FITIIIAN, OF GROVE CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,128, dated September 3, 1901.

Application led December 26, 1899. Serial No.v 741,535. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN CARRUTHERS and EDWIN J. FITHIAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Grove City, in the county of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. Y

This invention relates to clutches; and it consists in certain improvements in the construction thereof, as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

More particularly, our invention relates to that class of clutches shown and described in our Patent No. 641,370, granted January 16, 1900.

Figure 1 shows a section on the line 1 1 in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows an elevation from the top of Fig. 1, a part being broken away to better show construction.

A marks the shaft which in the construction shown carries the driving member B, which is locked against rotative movement on the shaft by the key a. This driving member comprises the hub or sleeve B, the web B2, which extends outwardly from it, and the iange B', theinner surface of which forms the friction-surface of the driving member.

The pulley C, which may be termed the driven member of the clutch, comprises the hub C', the web C2, extending outwardly from the inner end thereof, the flange C3, extending outwardly from the web C2 over the hub C, the spokes c, extending from the outer end of the flange, and the rim C4, arranged on the spokes in the usual manner.

The friction-shoes D D are provided with the guides cl, in which are grooves d3. (Shown in dotted lines.) These guides engage the guides c3, preferably carried by the spokes c of the pulley C. At the ends of the shoes are arranged the nuts d. Reversely-threaded zcrews E are arranged to operate in the nuts screws. A Worm G, carried by the sleeve G', is adapted to engage the worm-gear F. The sleeve G' is journaled on the hub C and is locked against axial movement thereon, but

The worm-gears F are secured on thesey is free to rotate on said hub. The gears F extend through slots c in the fiange C3, so that the inner edges of the gears protrude sufliciently to permit the engagement of the worm G with the gears F.

A cap H is secured to the end of the hub B and extends outwardly therefrom, forming a ange, which holds the hub C and the sleeve G in place. On the inner edge of the plate H are the detents h, which are adapted to engage the detents c' of the hand-wheel I, so as to form a clutch by means of which the handwheel I is locked with the plate H, and hence with the driving memberB. The hand-wheel I is arranged on the sleeve Gr and is free to move axially thereon'and is locked against rotative movement on the sleeve by a splineand-groove mechanism i.

The operation of the device is as follows: When it is desired to set the clutch, the hand- Wheel is drawn out, so as to set the auxiliary clutch formed by the detents h and c'. This locks the sleeve G' with the driven member B and causes the worm G to rotate relatively to the gears F. This creates a rotative movement of the gears F, and consequentlya movement of the screws E, which separate the shoes D, bringing them into contact with the friction-surface on the flange B. This outward movement of the shoe is continued so long as there is relative movement between the driving and driven members, so that a sufcient pressure is created to set the clutch, and at the same time the parts are only strained sufficiently to eiect this result, because as soonas the members move together the setting action is stopped. To disengage the clutch, the hand-wheel is pushed in, throwing the auxiliary clutch out of engagement. The hand-wheel is then subjected to a brake action which retards the hand-wheel IOO be moved into and out of operative engagement, by a movement in a radial direction; a Worm arranged to aetuate said shoes, said worm being journaled with the axis of the driving member, as a center, and means actuated by the relative movement of the members, one to the other, for actuating said Worm.

2. In a friction-clutch, the combination with the driving and driven members; of a friction-shoe; a screw arranged to move said shoe into and ont of engagement; a Wormgear secured to said screw; a Worm arranged to mesh and actuate said gear, said Worm being jonrnaied with the axis of the driving member as a center; means actuated by the relative movement of the members, one to the other, for actuating said Worm.

esame JOHN CARRUTHERS. EDWIN J. FITHIAN.

Witnesses:

W. M. GRAHAM, L. M. FITHIAN; 

